Titles by Alexander Kluge

Antiques of Advertising
Blue Hour Tango Time
Changing Time (Quickly)
Japanclips
Madame Butterfly Waits
The African Lady, or Love with a Fatal Outcome
The Eiffel Tower, King Kong, and the White Woman
Why Are You Crying, Antonio?

The African Lady, or Love with a Fatal Outcome

1988, 25 min, color, sound, German with English subtitles.

As storms cross over an orchestra and notes fly by, a ship is sinking. While one woman sleeps, another is rescued (in her sleep?). An opera guide is said to include imaginary operas "of our lives in big format," as well as Die Valkyrie, Othello, Madame Butterfly, Carmen, Aida, Margarete von Trotta as the countess/Communist, the African Lady, Solaris, and many others. We find ourselves (that is, the female voice speaking from our position) prompted in our roles by a pair of whispering opera prompts. Though the outcome for the heroine is fatal, the ship arrives in time for Christmas, plying its way through computer graphic stars.